


Give me a soul that never ceases to follow

by orphan_account



Series: We belong to the stars, so let the moon worry about itself [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Interlude, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-12
Updated: 2012-10-12
Packaged: 2017-11-16 04:23:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/535460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“And you said he’s doing well?” Alan had been acquainted with this young man for far too long to be fooled by his attempt at nonchalance.</p><p>“If the complaints I’ve been hearing from several professors are anything to go by, then he’s back to being his well-intentioned but disruptive self in all of his classes, telling everyone who asks about the bruises on his neck that they should see the other guy.” </p><p>A meeting between Commander Derek and Captain Deaton brings some interesting truths to light.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Give me a soul that never ceases to follow

**Author's Note:**

> The name for the ship Derek and Deaton serve aboard is the _Torqua_ , which is Latin for "torch," and the closest equivalent I could find in the language to the word "beacon."
> 
> There's no Stiles in this part, but I promise there will be a piece for him later on.
> 
> The title for this piece comes from Demon Hunter's _Deteriorate_ , though the implication here is different from the original.

In the rare instances that Captain Alan Deaton was not giving lectures or assisting with delicate procedures at Starfleet Medical when his crew was stationed on Earth, he could be found in his office in the science wing. At any given time, he could expect one of the young supernatural cadets or professors to seek him out in this office, and he would do his best to help them with whatever plagued their minds. Laura Hale had been a frequent visitor in her tenure as a cadet, and he could admit in the relative privacy of his own mind - he admired and appreciated the abilities of all of his students, but the recent Betazoid transfer student had caused quite a stir when first she arrived - that she had been, and remained, one of his favorites.

His fondness for her had been one of the chief reasons for requesting her brother to serve with him on the _Torqua_ after the younger Hale sibling graduated from the academy. That had turned out to be one of the best decisions Alan had ever made. In his few years aboard the _Torqua_ , Derek had saved his captain’s life, and the lives of many of their crew, several times over, advancing swiftly through the ranks and earning the reluctant respect and admiration of the rest of the ‘fleet. He said “reluctant” not because of the commander’s genetics, but because of his profoundly private personality.

People found it hard to enjoy the company of individuals not easily given to observing social niceties, and they especially struggled to interact with persons who guarded so closely their hearts and their minds. Alan knew, both from Laura and from his own experiences with her brother, the reasons for Derek’s emotional reticence. He accepted those reasons and their effects as a matter of course, and knew when to press the issues and when to leave well enough alone.

It was because of this that when he found his First Officer sitting across from him in his office, looking far more discomfited than he had seen the man since that near-disaster with the Klingons six months ago, searching futilely for the right words, he decided to help him out. “I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume this has something to do with the incident you broke up on the last full moon.”

Derek’s head shot up, his brow furrowed and mouth in a startled line. “Sir?”

Steeping his fingers, Alan leaned back in his chair and watched his First Officer dispassionately. “This is the first time I have seen you in this office outside of briefings and administrative business the entire semester. In addition, Cadet Whittemore came to me yesterday to contest the restrictions you placed on his leisure hours, and to inform me that the next time you chose to take your disciplinary duties to such physical extremes, he would be contacting his father. It doesn’t take a genius to draw the proper conclusion.” He allowed his lips to twitch up slightly in amusement before saying, “Speaking of genius, you may be relieved to know that Cadet Stilinski has been recovering well.”

“I’m sorry, Captain, but you just lost me.” It did look as though Derek was sorry. He hated admitting when he was out of his depth. Alan had a feeling it stemmed from never wanting to acknowledge the possibility that something integral to his safety, and the safety of those under his protection, could elude him the way it once had with Kate Argent.

“I apologize, Commander. I had thought Cadet McCall might say something to you - but then, you two don’t exactly see eye to eye yet, do you?” He let the quirk of one eyebrow speak the hint of reproach in that regard, and moved on, confident that that particular message had been received. He knew that if the two betas could come to some sort of understanding, they would do great things together. They were simply too similar in all the wrong ways to figure out how to relate to each other on their own. “Cadet Stilinski is the young man you rescued from Cadet Whittemore the other night.”

“And you said he’s doing well?” Alan had been acquainted with this young man for far too long to be fooled by his attempt at nonchalance.

“If the complaints I’ve been hearing from several professors are anything to go by, then he’s back to being his well-intentioned but disruptive self in all of his classes, telling everyone who asks about the bruises on his neck that they should see the other guy.” That the story had featured in half of the major media outlets the morning after the full moon had done little to curb the cadet’s tall tales. This could have had something to do with the fact that the only image captured of the event was a photo distorted horribly by the characteristic flare of werewolf eyes caught on camera, so that the only real information the press gained access to was that the young men involved were both Starfleet, and one had been human and the other had not.

Derek seemed to be struggling somewhere between laughing and looking nauseated at this point. “Yeah, that sounds like him.” He cast his eyes about the room, in spite of being intimately aware with every nook and cranny of Alan’s office, owing to the many times he had been here as an uncertain cadet, followed by his more confident years as a budding officer. “What would you say, sir, if I told you I had found my mate?”

Blinking, Alan ran over the question in his mind before possetting, “Cadet Stilinski?” and then answering his own proposal. “That would explain the strong reaction you had to Cadet Whittemore’s loss of control. In that case, Derek,” his use of his First Officer’s given name finally succeeded in bringing hazel eyes back to meet his own, “I would say ‘congratulations,’ and assure you that if you tread carefully, you shouldn’t run afoul of any of the regulations.” The rules for Vulcans in the ‘fleet had served as a template for others known to have mates, allowing them to receive the same assignments, regardless of disparities in rank. While this caused a certain amount of rancour in the officers who did not fall under this surprisingly wide umbrella, it was necessary to ensure the strength and efficiency of all of Starfleet’s officers, and that took precedent over any umbrage that might be raised about preferential treatment.

It was one of the ways hunters continued to maintain a steady force, bitter young men and women abandoning the service and seeking a place where they were considered special, were seen as worthy of the best treatment.

Still, more humans chose to stay with the ‘fleet than those who left.

“And that’s all, sir?” Derek stared at him with an air of one who was being handed his heart’s desire, and just waiting to be told that it was all a joke, he’d have to give it back now, there was a good sport.

Alan was not a violent man by nature, but seeing that expression on his First Officer’s face made him ache for a chance to exact bloody justice from the woman responsible for the events that put it there. Ignoring the impulse, he told Derek wryly, “Well, I’d also wish you luck. From the sounds of things, you’re going to have your hands full.”

Recovering somewhat, Derek generously offered to share his irritation. “In a few years, Captain, he’ll be your problem, too.”

“I look forward to it.” There wasn’t a single aberration in his heartbeat, Alan knew. He was being utterly sincere. “His mother was the ambassador on the diplomatic ship where I served as Chief Medical Officer. If he is anything like Mona, Cadet Stilinski will be a force to be reckoned with when he is older. One we will be glad to have on our side.”

“Ambassador Stilinski was his mother? Wasn’t she the one who...” clearly troubled and at a loss for words, Derek trailed off.

“Who died protecting the Vampire Queen at a diplomatic event ten years ago? Yes. Mona Stilinski was an amazing ambassador, and one of the most beautiful beings I have ever had the privilege to know, inside and out.” Alan sat forward and placed his hands before him on his mountain ash-laced desk, his gaze steady and intent. “You and your young cadet may have more in common than you might believe.”

Breath whooshed out of Derek’s lungs, and then Alan heard him say, “Yeah, I’m starting to see that.” He blinked as though he was jerked out of a trance. “If that’s all, sir. I just wanted to let you know what was going on, and that I fully intend to follow regulations in this matter.” One day, Alan would tell him how utterly predictable he was. He always reverted to formalities when he grew too uncomfortable with the amount of intimate information shared - more so with others than with Alan and his sister, though it did still happen.

“I would expect nothing less, Commander,” he said, allowing Derek his illusion of distance. He nodded toward the door. “You’re dismissed.”

“Captain.” He rose in a manner that would appear fluid to the untrained eye, yet hinted at an uncharacteristic stiffness to Alan.

He watched his First make his way toward the door, and spoke softly just as he reached up to press the release. “She didn’t advertise it, but Mona had a way of knowing things. She wasn’t a seer, I don't believe, but she had one of the highest Esper ratings among any human in the ‘fleet. She named her son after her father, but his middle name was his own.” Until this point, Derek had kept his eyes focused on the door, but now he turned his head to the side a little, his interest undeniable. “Do you know what the word Polish word ‘wilk’ means in Standard?” Alan waited a beat, then told him, “It means ‘wolf.’” After giving that a moment to sink in, he uttered a final, “Good day, Commander.”

He didn’t receive any parting remarks in return.

But then, he hadn’t really expected any.


End file.
